The open web is on life support, or so they say. But is it really dying, or are we just not giving it the oxygen it needs to survive? 

That was the big message during Programmatic IO’s session, “The Future of the Open Internet Is…?” featuring industry minds Cavel Khan, Chief Growth Officer, Group Black; Ari Paparo, CEO & Contributor, Marketecture Media; and Ben Hovaness, Chief Media Officer, OMD, with AdExchanger’s Allison Schiff moderating.

And if we’re honest, the conversation revealed a hard truth: the open web’s struggles go beyond the cookies crumbling — the question is: Are publishers ready to hustle for their piece of the pie?

So, What Exactly Do We Mean by the Open Web These Days?

Let’s cut through the noise — everyone’s got their own take on what the “open web” even means anymore. Is it about accessibility, privacy, innovation, or free speech? It depends on who you ask. 

Some say it’s the accessible, ad-friendly corner of the internet, free from the constraints of walled gardens. The last bastion of free, accessible content that isn’t fenced off behind a paywall or login screen. The digital playground where ads can be bought programmatically without a giant tech overlord controlling every move.

But, sadly, the truth is the open web’s territory is shrinking fast, with Google, Meta, and other walled gardens gobbling up a good 80% of ad spend. 

How did we get here? It’s easy to point fingers at Big Tech, but let’s talk about the industry’s own missteps that got us here.

The Blame Game: Did We Let the Open Web Slip Away?

“The industry is partially to blame,” said Khan, laying out how publishers lost resources as ad dollars poured into walled gardens. And he’s not wrong.

The ad tech ecosystem poured money into the platforms and watched them grow, thinking it was all just market dynamics at play. Meanwhile, independent publishers lost their funding, their communities, and, eventually, their place in the game. Publishers didn’t just roll over one day and lose; they were out-resourced, outspent, and ultimately outperformed in the battle for consumer attention. 

“Independent publishers lost their ability to sustain in the marketplace. That’s why we’re seeing the decline,” he added. It wasn’t like consumers suddenly stopped caring about quality content. Publishers couldn’t maintain what they built because ad dollars flowed elsewhere. Publishers ultimately handed the power over to the walled gardens.

“The big miss on the media side was that they let go of their distribution,” said Paparo. Publishers got too comfortable, relying on third-party tech and platforms for distribution, only to realize they became too dependent on these gatekeepers. For example, news publishers, in particular, put too much faith in platforms and aggregators like Google News.

Now they’re playing catch-up, scrambling to recapture those direct consumer relationships they should’ve built from the start — trying to regain what they gave up: their audience, data, and autonomy.

Signal Loss Ain’t the Only Problem Here

But, we can’t ignore the hard reality of signal loss draining value from the ecosystem. “If you suck signal out of an ecosystem, you reduce its value,” explained Hovaness.

Apple’s cookie crackdown in Safari sent shockwaves through the industry, leading to a split in ad pricing between Safari and Chrome, with Chrome’s value only shooting up simply because it still relied on third-party cookies.

Now, with Google flirting with its own version of App Tracking Transparency in Chrome, the industry is bracing for an even bigger hit. It’s the stuff that still gives publishers sleepless nights. But here’s where the conversation often hits a wall: What now? 

Sure, contextual is part of the solution, but let’s keep it 100 — it’s not a magic bullet. As Khan noted, consumers want more than just context. They crave hyper-personalized, relevant content, and right now, the algorithms in walled gardens are fumbling that bag too. 

The missing piece? True multi-touch attribution across platforms. As Khan put it, “We need to leverage technology in a different way, one that doesn’t create a new set of winners while leaving everyone else starving.”

Programmatic advertising might be good at identifying who you are, but it’s failing at figuring out when you’re actually ready to engage. This is where the open web has a shot to differentiate itself, but it’ll take more than business-as-usual tactics.

The Creator Economy: A Blueprint for Publishers?

Here’s where we can flip the script a bit. It’s not just about surviving the ad wars against walled gardens. It’s about publishers learning to think more like creators to reclaim their power. 

The creator economy is booming — worth $250 billion in 2023 and climbing. This economy is out here thriving, projected to double to nearly $480 billion by 2027. Why? Because creators aren’t waiting for consumers to come to them — they’re meeting their audience where they are. Newsletters, podcasts, social — you name it, they’re on it. Consumers are looking to creators for content that feels real, honest, and transparent

Paparo’s excitement around tools like Substack, beehiiv, and Ghost is spot-on. Even WordPress offers tools allowing creators to monetize through commerce and ad placements. This is also where companies like Group Black, Raptive, and MediaVine are ahead of the game, helping content creators secure and optimize ad revenue.

And you know what? Publishers need to pay attention. 

Some are. Think of Architectural Digest’s AD PRO members-only community for design professionals. Or how about Vox and SB Nation launching Top Secret Base, featuring exclusive content for subscribers on Patreon?

We can even look at publishers like Ranker, leveraging first-party data and building community-driven engagement to realize a 4x boost in revenue. That’s not magic; that’s strategy.

It’s time for publishers to rethink revenue streams, diversify content formats, harness first-party data to build meaningful relationships and stop expecting users to just stumble back to their websites out of habit. Meet them on social, in their inboxes, or through niche community hubs — whatever it takes. It’s time to carve out a new space

What’s most important is that you own that relationship with your audience.

The Path Forward: Reinvent or Get Left Behind

Now, let’s be clear: the open web isn’t going to resurrect magically. We shouldn’t try to turn back the clock lamenting the loss of signals or blame the platforms for hoarding ad spend. This isn’t about nostalgia; it’s about redefining the open web for what it can be.

The future of the open web isn’t in wistful “what ifs.” It’s in publishers getting their hands dirty, owning their distribution, and thinking beyond traditional models. It means building the tech stack to capture first-party data, finding new ways to engage, and creating a user experience that doesn’t just compete — it sets the standard.

So when the panel wrapped up with words like “bright,” “diverse” and “changing” to describe the open web’s future, I couldn’t help but add my own: resilient. But these words only mean something if publishers take action. The open web will survive. But it won’t be because we sat around and complained. It’ll be because we hustled, adapted, and fought for it.

The post The Open Internet’s Future: On Life Support or Ready for a Glow-Up? appeared first on AdMonsters.

This new era of journalism is sticky for publishers. They are currently faced with revenue loss, layoffs, and much more since tech giants are prioritizing clicks over quality content. They invest heavily in creating reliable information, yet the rise of AI-fueled search results threatens to divert traffic away from their sites, potentially cutting off vital revenue streams. 

To stay afloat, publishers continue to focus on diversifying their revenue streams. From launching e-commerce platforms to fostering vibrant online communities, they are rethinking their strategies to build stronger, more direct relationships with their audiences. This shift not only helps mitigate the risks posed by AI-driven search engines but also enhances brand safety and boosts audience lifetime value. By embracing these changes and prioritizing community engagement, publishers can create sustainable business models that support quality journalism.

We spoke with Max Weiss, OpenWeb’s Chief Strategy Officer, about his work at OpenWeb, how the new era of digital media is affecting publishers, and ways they can thrive in this new norm.  

Andrew Byrd: Can you walk me through the work you do at OpenWeb?

Max Weiss: OpenWeb is on a mission to build a healthier open internet. We do this the best way we know how: by building innovative technologies that turn content creators (publishers, brands) into the hosts of thriving, healthy communities. Our best-in-class moderation tech leverages AI to keep those communities healthy and engaging, bringing data and revenue to publishers. Today, we work with more than 5,000 top-tier publishers, hosting more than 150 million active users each month.

As the Chief Operations Officer, I collaborate with our CEO & founder, Nadav Shoval on our mission to help the media industry thrive on the open internet (simple, right?). On a day-to-day basis, I spend a lot of time meeting with leaders in the media industry and working with my teams (product, partner success and trust & safety most often) to help them solve their problems, from audience retention to addressability.

AB: How has the media industry evolved recently, and what are the main challenges publishers are facing today?

MW: Even for an industry marked by constant change, the past year has been eventful. We’ve seen a lot:

• Huge advances in AI changing everything from traffic sources to staffing needs.
• Dramatically falling search and social media referral traffic.
• Google’s flip flop on deprecating third-party cookies more times than I care to recount. 
• Slow-moving but advancing government regulations.
• New social channels for reaching and engaging audiences (which tends to further distract publishers and drain their resources).
• And more…

All together, this means many publishers face risks to their bottom line. There’s a widespread acknowledgement that they need to diversify revenue streams. That’s where we come in – we believe, as do an increasing number of publishers, that building a strong, loyal community is the best way to push back against the tide.

AB: Can you elaborate on the importance of diversifying revenue streams for publishers and how it can impact their sustainability?

MW: From ecommerce and events to entirely new and productized verticals (like for instance, WSJ’s Buy Side and recipes vertical), publishers are doing so much to diversify their revenue. These initiatives are most successful when they’re built on top of a thriving, loyal community — one that congregates around the publishers’ content, most commonly in the comments sections. That community of users and super users multiply the impact of everything else a publisher does to diversify revenue. After all, if a publisher launches a store, who do you think is buying the t-shirt or hat with the publishers’ logo on it?

To get there, publishers need to change their mindsets. They need to begin to think about their content at the beginning of a conversation and themselves as the host of that conversation, rather than simply posting content to social media or their website. We’ve seen it work countless times. A strong community increases time on site, pages per session and return traffic — and increases revenue.

AB: How is AI influencing search results, and what are the potential benefits and drawbacks for publishers?

MW: AI-powered search is just the latest example of how tech companies are taking publishers’ content, monetizing it, and then keeping that new revenue for themselves.

AI-powered search is an existential threat to publishers as it cuts them off from any form of revenue they would generate from web traffic. 

At worst, this is a zero-sum game: AI results keep traffic on search engines themselves, and away from publishers. But publishers are pivoting and building direct traffic streams to rely less on SEO and more on strategies that use 1:1 relationships with users to bring traffic directly to their own sites. By turning inward, publishers will be able to focus on what they do best – fostering and hosting communities around content –something an AI search summary can never do. 

AB: Can you explain the role of community engagement platforms like OpenWeb in helping publishers build a community of registered users?

MW: OpenWeb provides publishers a tailored and unique community engagement experience. The community is similar to a social media platform, all hosted directly on their properties. OpenWeb fosters engaged conversations around topics that matter, in turn, building loyalty with their readers.

A staggering 88% of online users won’t return to a site if they have a bad peer-to-peer experience. In short: negative interactions can cause readers to completely write off a site, even if they aren’t part of the conversation.

Healthy community drives more registrations by converting passive readers into engaged and registered users. Online, engaged communities can help publishers make more revenue from their readers, by making their site a destination and engaging with users. 

AB: How can publishers balance the need for premium inventory with ensuring brand safety and focusing on audience lifetime value?

MW: Thanks for this question. This is one of the things we at OpenWeb have spent years working on. Publishers can increase LTV and maintain high levels of engagement by hosting a community — starting with comments. That has been known for decades, at this point. But starting in the mid-2010’s, brand safety and suitability were called into question. 

As a result, publishers got out of the habit of interacting with their users on their own properties, and outsourced those community-building efforts to the social platforms. But, with advances in AI and Machine Learning, it is now not only possible but profitable for publishers to host healthy, engaged communities at scale. Quality conversations are one of the best ways to transform casual visitors into loyal users who drive more engagement, spend more time on-site, and are more likely to return over time — that’s LTV.

The post The Shift to Community-Driven Revenue in Digital Publishing a Q&A with Max Weiss, OpenWeb appeared first on AdMonsters.

This past week, nothing caught the attention of the internet and social media quite like the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The tension has been brewing for some time — most notably when Kendrick threw shots at Drake and J. Cole during his feature on Future and Metro Boomin’s joint project — but it all came to a head when Kendrick released the diss track “Euphoria” last Tuesday.  

Then a lyrical sparring match commenced spanning a week and seven cumulative songs, each trying to outdo the other. The accusations and insults stemmed from silly jabs (Kendrick’s height or Drake’s plastic surgery) to more serious allegations (domestic violence and pedophilia). 

Regardless of which side someone stood on or whether you believe the accusations in the songs, one thing rings true – the content produced significant engagement.  

Kendrick’s song “Euphoria” broke a rap streaming record, and his song “Not Like Us” shot to number one in the U.S. Spotify and Apple Music charts. In fact, as of this moment, Kendrick and Drake’s diss tracks sit in the top five of the Apple Music chart. With reactions and critiques galore on social media focused on songcraft and political critiques such as cultural appropriation and misogyny in the genre, it was hard to escape the discourse. It’s the amount of engagement that publishers and advertisers dream of.  

Yet, one of the most curious pieces of news to develop relates to the creator economy. Both Lamar and Drake allegedly removed the copyright claims on their diss tracks allowing content creators to monetize videos that include those songs.

Content Creators Experience “Euphoria”: Kendrick Lamar and Drake Allegedly Lift Copyright Claims

Content creators have been a major driving force behind this feud, spreading the news like wildfire. However, dealing with the intricacies of commercial music has proven challenging for influencers, as they frequently encounter Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown orders and copyright claims issued by record labels. Even song snippets in reaction videos can trigger DMCA orders, leading to removing sound, video takedowns, or redirecting advertising revenue to record labels.

This presents a significant dilemma for influencers who rely on sharing their real-time reactions to new music releases, particularly amidst the heightened attention surrounding Drake and Lamar’s feud.

The announcement first came to light from social media influencer FaZe YourRAGE.

My Drake Reactions Are now also uncopyrighted WE EATING https://t.co/vzJGx4kE1l

— FaZe YourRAGE (@YourRAGEz) May 6, 2024

This is a significant and not commonly practiced step. It’s understandable why musicians create copyright claims over their art. As commerce intersects with art, many try to capitalize on artists through predatory practices. But for the content creator community, this could be a gamechanger. For instance, the popular YouTube music critic Anthony Fantano published six videos covering the feud. Fantano could monetize these viral videos since Lamar and Drake removed the copyright claims. 

Even large streamer No Life Shaq touts how much this could benefit small creators. No Life Shaq says he has the power to remove claims because of his connections with record labels, but small creators don’t always have the same access.

Interesting! Popular streamer No Life Shaq said Kendrick helped the reaction community make “life-changing money” b/c he removed copyright claims on his music for video creators.@JustinTinsley asked how much $$ this battle will generate. Looks like the people getting some of it pic.twitter.com/sseAF3wj4Q

— Britni Danielle (@BritniDWrites) May 7, 2024

The Booming Creator Economy “Push Ups” Ad Tech Industry

No one can deny how much social media has changed digital media over the last decade. A major backbone of that is content creators and influencers who garner millions of consumers to watch their content. Even ad tech has taken notice of the booming creator economy. Many brands look to content creators to boost their content. 

Even during this year’s Consumer and Electronics Show (CES), the creator economy received ample airtime. The media company Omnicom became the first holding company to strike a deal with Amazon, integrating creator content into Amazon’s Posts API, a social media-like platform within the e-commerce giant. This partnership enables influencer content distribution on a global scale, with a focus on driving sales and providing measurement tools for effectiveness assessment.

Omnicom’s integration with Amazon Posts allows organic influencer placements on the world’s largest e-commerce platform, now trackable through unique attribution capabilities. This move expands influencer marketing beyond traditional platforms like TikTok and Instagram, allowing advertisers to measure sales directly resulting from influencer content.

In the context of the rap beef, it’s not yet clear why Kendrick Lamar and Drake allegedly lifted copyright claims on their diss tracks. Maybe they’re becoming more in tune with the woes of the content creator community. With the TikTok ban looming over our heads, the struggle of influencers, publishers, and advertisers has been pushed forward to the national political stage. 

Still, as the ad tech industry intersects with the creator economy, experts reveal it is a significant boost for advertisers. As Jack Koch, SVP, Research & Insights, IAB, wrote in the IAB’s Creator Economy study, “Creator content marketing is a powerful vehicle for driving full-funnel impact, and advertisers are finding tremendous success adding it to their marketing mix alongside studio content advertising.”

The post Kendrick Lamar and Drake Served Up a Side of Beef and The Creator Economy Eats Good appeared first on AdMonsters.

Want’s diverse background spans across e-commerce, social media, entertainment, and gaming. With a foundation in philosophy from Sydney University, followed by a master’s in economics and public policy at Columbia University, her approach to data is both holistic and strategic. Co-authoring “Precisely: Working with Precision Systems in a World of Data” further cements her as a thought leader in this space. The book is a detailed examination of global data applications and reflects her deep understanding of how data shapes industries from agriculture to education.

As a keynote speaker at AdMonsters OPs, Madeleine will delve into “DATA DYNAMICS: HARNESSING FANATICISM IN THE PRIVACY ERA.” This session, scheduled for 9:30 am-10:00 am, promises to be a deep dive into the art of monetizing customer relationships amidst the complexities of the open web. Drawing on her rich experiences at both Fanatics and Index Exchange, Want will unpack how aligning incentives across the ecosystem can fundamentally alter audience engagement strategies.

At Fanatics, she led the creation of a ‘Customer 360’ view, establishing the company as a beacon in sports customer relations. Her session at OPs will reveal how publishers can smartly use their first-party data to nurture customer relationships while offering new opportunities to partners. Expect to hear about innovative strategies like Private Marketplace deals, audience matching, and identity solutions — all geared towards thriving in the current digital, privacy-conscious market.

Now, let’s take a closer look at our LinkedIn Live chat with Madeleine Want, which highlights her insights and contributions positioning her as a pivotal figure in today’s data-driven world.

Charting a Data-Driven Path in Ad Tech and Betting

Madeleine Want’s career path led her through various roles in Australia, Berlin, and New York before becoming VP of Data at Fanatics. Her journey from Sydney’s product management scene to the high-stakes world of betting and gaming in NYC is nothing short of inspiring. With a career that pivoted from Australia’s biggest ecommerce clothing provider to tech in Berlin, and finally to Audible in the U.S., her story is a playbook for seizing opportunities in the ever-evolving ad tech landscape. Her journey illustrates how diverse experiences can forge a path to roles like VP of Data at Fanatics.

Data: The Asset and the Art

Want speaks about data with a passion that’s infectious. Her intrigue with the ‘physicality of data’ — moving beyond just figures on a screen to the real-world impact — is a fresh take. It’s fascinating how she views data as an asset, to be leveraged for growth and innovation. The way she articulates it, data is not just a tool; it’s a canvas for creativity.

The AI Revolution in Behavioral Data

The conversation took an interesting turn when discussing AI’s role in identifying behavioral patterns in gambling. Want’s work in developing predictive models to flag potential gambling problems showcases how AI can be used responsibly and ethically. It’s a delicate balance of tech and morality, emphasizing the impact of tech beyond just business outcomes.

Audible Memories and the AI Integration Challenge

Her stint at Audible was a period of significant change, focusing on integrating AI with data science teams. This wasn’t just a technical challenge but a transformative shift in how the company approached data. It’s a compelling example of how AI is not just about algorithms and coding but about culture and strategy.

Fanatics: A Data Powerhouse

In the realm of betting and gaming, Fanatics stands out with its unique approach to contextual data. Want’s insights into how the company uses customer data to personalize experiences are a peek into the future of customer engagement. Fanatics’ ability to interact with the same customers across multiple properties gives them unique contextual data advantages. It’s a testament to how data can create a competitive edge, especially when you have the ‘Amazon of betting and gaming’ at your helm.

Writing ‘Precisely’: A Journey Through Data’s Impact

Want’s book, co-authored during her master’s degree, is a reflection of her depth of understanding and curiosity about data. From weed identification on farms to music genre classification, her exploration of data’s role across sectors is a reminder of its pervasive impact. Understanding business goals and existing data assets is important before determining analytical systems. Trial and error can be effective for businesses to learn what systems work best for their needs.

Navigating the Regulatory Maze

The regulatory landscape in ad tech and gambling was another focal point of the discussion. Want’s comparison of the two – especially the nuanced, state-by-state approach in gambling – highlights the complexity and importance of compliance. It’s a stark reminder of the challenges businesses face in aligning with legal frameworks.

The Future of Data: Complexity, Access, and Consolidation

Her vision of the future in customer data resonates with anyone who’s felt overwhelmed by the current complexity. The future may bring consolidation of customer data tools and strategies as the industry matures. Her hope for more accessible data practices for smaller businesses is not just insightful but also speaks to an inclusive future.

The post Harnessing Data with a Touch of Fanaticism: Madeleine Want’s Journey to AdMonsters Ops Keynote appeared first on AdMonsters.

Every year, advertisers pay top dollar to feature their ads during the Super Bowl because they know they will reach a large audience. It’s an essential part of the annual pastime for consumers to decide which Super Bowl ad tickles their fancy the most. Yet, even more than large audience engagement, the event assures that the ads catch users’ attention. An iconic, uninterrupted ad spot for viewers — what more could advertisers ask for? 

There were many wins at the Super Bowl — the Kansas City Chiefs, Usher, and the Beyhive. But the real question is, who took the advertising crown? According to AdImpact’s viewership data and day-after advertising analysis, certain categories remained popular, such as beer and sports betting commercials remaining popular. 

Here’s what the stats say: 

The Viewership Breakdown of the Most Streamed Super Bowl of All-Time

Super Bowl LVIII broke TV rating records by becoming the most-watched program in US television history, at least officially. Therefore, it is the most streamed Super Bowl ever. That’s a staggering fact. Still, our CTV-obsessed professionals may be wondering what medium consumers watched the game. 

AdImpact’s data revealed that most viewers watched the game on linear TV (59%), and 14% watched on YouTube TV. Linear TV remains king of the castle in terms of Super Bowl viewership, but will that change as the TV industry evolves? 

We already know that a Disney standalone ESPN streaming service will hit the streets in 2025. Alongside watching their favorite sports, the streaming service will feature an immersive experience for sports fans, offering e-commerce and features like integrated betting and fantasy sports. With a locked and loaded plan to build an audience and keep them, I’m sure all our CTV geeks will be looking to see if ESPN’s new streaming service will dominate viewership for that year’s Super Bowl. 

The Top Performing Ads of the Night

Commercials for the 2024 Super Bowl commanded higher rates than those for last year’s game, ranging from $6.5 million to $7 million per 30-second spot broadcast on TV channel CBS. With ad spend budgets on the line and only a few chances to ensure all viewers remembered your ad, brands were scrambling to score a last-minute field goal to reach that top-10 spot. 

There’s no room to waste ad spend, especially with the spine-tingling ad recession that plagued the industry at the beginning of 2023. Even more, some industry experts predicted ad spend growth deceleration starting this year. 

All brands fought valiantly to the bitter end, but only a few could score their way to the top. According to TV outcomes company EDO, here are the Top 10 ads that drove the highest consumer engagement: 

1. Deadpool & Wolverine (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures), Coming Together:15, generated +2,243% as much engagement as the median-performing Super Bowl LVIII in-game ad. 
2. Wicked: Part One (Universal Pictures), Afraid:60, +2,008%
3. Volkswagen, An American Love Story:60, +1,594%
4. Poppi, The Future of Soda is Now:60, +1,561%
5. Temu, Billionaire:30, +1,342%
6. Twisters (Universal Pictures), Chase It:30, +1,125%
7. Temu, Billionaire:30 +1,041%
8. He Gets Us, He Washed Feet:60, +942%
9. Robert F. Kennedy for President, Kennedy:30, +891%
10. Shogun (Hulu), Epic Event Promo:30, +639%

Biggest Ad Trends 

EDO also provided an analysis of some of the night’s biggest trends. New soft drinks, foreign auto brands, and nostalgia took center stage in the Big Game. International automakers seized the opportunity left by the absence of U.S. conglomerates, with Volkswagen leading in engagement with a nostalgia-driven ad. 

Despite criticism, online retailer Temu’s repetitive ad proved effective, securing top spots. Poppi emerged as a standout among soft drink brands, while alcohol ads dwindled after last year’s heavy investment. Nostalgia-driven TV reunions, including cast reunions from beloved shows, resonated with audiences, notably boosting engagement for brands like Mountain Dew Baja Blast.

The post Linear TV, New Soft Drinks, Foreign Auto Brands, and Nostalgia Reigned Supreme at Super Bowl LVIII appeared first on AdMonsters.

The bad bots started early, planned carefully, and then unleashed a torrent of bad bots to bilk retailers and consumers alike. HUMAN’s report offers websites and online retailers a look at their ploys so that security teams can keep their sites and their customers safe in the upcoming holiday season.

Below are the things to watch out for, according to HUMAN.

Cybercriminals Start Early

Cybercriminals begin planning their crimes in the months leading up to Cyber Monday. Last September to November, HUMAN measured 99% more bad bot traffic to retail sites than the yearly average.

Human traffic, on the other hand, stayed relatively flat, reaching its peak during Cyber Week.

What Was All That Bot Traffic Up To?

While most consumers spent last summer and fall barbecuing and getting their kids ready for school, the cybercriminals were laying the groundwork for their crimes. According to HUMAN, they were busy: 

• Harvesting sensitive data from breaches, leaky databases, phishing campaigns, and dark web lists  
• Executing automated credential stuffing, carding, and brute force attacks to validate credentials, credit card numbers, and other PII 
• Submitting fake leads and contaminating web engagement metrics.

“Cybercriminals use bad bots to prepare in the summer and fall, so they will be ready when the holiday season rolls around,” HUMAN warns. “These bad bots then launch large-scale attacks during major online traffic periods and sales events.”

Types of Attacks

HUMAN noted that three types of attacks dominated the holiday season:

Account Takeovers

These attacks get unauthorized use of a user’s credentials to make purchases, drain their bank accounts, and a host of other ills. Account takeover attacks were up 123% in the second half of last year. In fact, 48.2% of all log-ins were malicious.

Carding Attacks

Carding, or using bots to test stolen credit cards, bank cards, and gift card numbers is the biggest threat to e-commerce retailers during the holiday season. Once the fraudster validates the numbers they buy all sorts of things to resell online.

In early November 2022, the percentage of malicious checkout attempts out of total checkout attempts rose 350%. The percentage of carding attacks out of total checkouts increased 900% in the days following Cyber Monday. This was likely due to bots continuing their attacks on e-commerce sites even after human traffic subsided. 

For ecommerce alone, HUMAN measured a significant peak in the summer months, when almost 30% of checkout attempts were malicious. This was followed by another small peak in October and a jump during the holiday season.

Scraping

Scraping, which is when bots scrape a website’s data to capture competitive intel. Scraping also takes a toll on a website’s SEO ranking (most sites invest in SEO during the holiday season so this is especially frustrating).

“Brand and marketers are profiting from online advertising during the holiday season with holiday sales growing last year from 2021 by more than 5.3% to $936.3 billion according to the National Retail Federation and consumers are spending nearly $1,500 on gifts, travel, and entertainment according to PWC research,” said Liel Strauch, HUMAN’s Senior Director of Enterprise Research. “It’s no wonder cybercriminals and fraudsters are already planning and embarking on their schemes. Our research demonstrates why bots are one of the most prolific tools for cybercrime because their increased sophistication gives fraudsters an uncanny ability to mimic human behavior online. They’re utilizing carding attacks, account takeovers, and scraping attacks to target both consumers and e-commerce sites, which can impact a consumer’s bank account and an e-commerce site’s profits.”

Learn More

The report goes into more detail, which you can read here. 

The post HUMAN Security Holiday Report Explains How Grinch Bots Steal the Holidays appeared first on AdMonsters.

Retail Media is a relative newcomer to the ad tech ecosystem, but in its short existence, it gained widespread popularity. It can provide brands with highly targeted advertising opportunities and a lucrative retailer revenue stream. 

It is a form of digital advertising that enables brands to promote their products within a retailer’s e-commerce platform or physical store. It offers shoppers targeted advertisements and sponsored content, capitalizing on customer data and analytics to reach potential buyers. 

Despite its success and proven value to the advertising landscape, there have been challenges with RMNs reaching their full potential. For one, brands must establish a distinct value proposition to attract incremental investment in RMNs, blurring the lines between brand building and performance marketing. Additionally, agencies need help building capable teams and guiding clients in the RMN ecosystem. 

“Retailers transforming into retail media networks must excel as publishers and ad networks, with a focus on data management, media, and ad tech—areas beyond their traditional core functions,” said  Jeffrey Bustos, VP, Measurement, Addressability and Data, IAB. “Establishing dedicated RMN teams is crucial, and a compelling value proposition becomes indispensable in attracting ad agencies and brand advertisers, especially amidst a plethora of options.”

The IAB created the Retail Media Buyer’s Guide to address these issues. But as Retail Media has emerged as a robust privacy compliance tool, we know the medium is here to stay. It is now up to key stakeholders to collaborate to ensure RMNs benefit all involved parties.

Planning for Retail Media

In the era of commerce media, effective planning for retail media relies on retailers and brands working closely together to align business goals and target audiences. Brands must thoroughly comprehend their target audience, media consumption patterns, and behavior throughout the customer lifecycle. Integrating retail media into the brand’s overall strategy is paramount to ensure successful full-funnel planning.

Within retail media networks, diverse solutions are available to optimize performance and achieve business objectives. These networks leverage first-party data to create customized audiences and extract valuable insights into shopper behavior. Brands should break free from the misconception that retail media focuses solely on conversions and instead recognize its potential for forging strong partnerships with retailers and gaining access to first-party data.

A well-executed plan involves:

• Being flexible in budget allocation.
• Continuously optimizing performance.
• Effectively reaching customers at different stages of their shopping journey.

The use of closed-loop measurement in retail media empowers advertisers with a comprehensive understanding of the customer journey and the actual impact of their advertising endeavors.

Fostering Collaboration for Retail Media Strategies

Effective retail media strategies require close collaboration among retailers, brands, and agencies, moving beyond mere information sharing to cohesive execution throughout the planning process.

“Collaboration can be fostered through stakeholder mapping, joint business planning, educating on capabilities, breaking down silos between teams/companies, and agencies partnering with retailers on strategy,” said Bustos. “Fluid budgeting and integrated planning prevent duplicated efforts. Open communication and transparency help create seamless partnerships between retailers, brands, and agencies.”

Stakeholder mapping and transparent conversations are crucial to ensure seamless media partnerships to accomplish this. Here are the IABs suggestions: 

Joint Business Plan Negotiations: Joint business plans (JBPs) facilitate collaborative planning between retailers and suppliers, aligning on short-term and long-term objectives, financial goals, growth, and shared business initiatives. JBPs can strengthen relationships between brands and retailers and are co-created based on objectives and priorities from both sides. 

Changing Dynamics and Collaboration Across Retailers, Brands, and Agencies: Organizations should ensure alignment and collaboration between channel and trade marketing and media planning efforts to avoid duplication and maximize efficiency. Successful retail media buying relies on understanding the shopper path, leveraging consumer insights from trade marketing teams, and fostering closer connectivity between agencies and retail media networks (RMNs).

Retail Media Briefing Process: Brands, agencies, and retailers should brief retail media as an individual touchpoint within the overall brand planning process and a commercial and retail strategy driver. The briefing process will vary by brand and advertiser but may include documents like the brand, campaign, and retailer briefs outlining objectives, target audience, messaging, and creative strategies. Understanding the retailer media planning timeline is essential to ensure timely launch dates.

Developing an Effective Retail Media Audience Strategy

Developing an effective retail media audience strategy involves identifying the core audience that aligns with business objectives and understanding their shopping behavior. Brands and agencies should define KPIs, and audience mapping to objectives is crucial. Integration with the overall marketing strategy is essential for a seamless approach.

Additionally, using first-party data is increasingly important in retail media networks due to the depreciation of third-party cookies. Brands should explore advanced data sharing and collaboration options with retailers while considering privacy concerns. Understanding data capabilities, such as taxonomy, technology, and flexibility, helps media buyers make informed decisions. Retailers can offer self-serve platforms, such as Kroger’s self-serve in-house platform, or managed services for data activation to cater to different buyer preferences.

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We used to buy almost everything in person until online shopping became more popular. During the pandemic, many shifted to purchasing most of their items online, including essentials like groceries. 

This comfort with shopping for goods online has opened up a new world of ecommerce, including shopping from the comfort of your living room couch. 

In a session at Ops NYC, “Shoppable TV: Shaping E-commerce’s Future with Unique Consumer Experiences,” moderated by Marika Roque, Chief Innovation Officer & Chief Operating Officer for KERV and featuring Miles Fisher, Senior Director Ad Platforms & Growth Sales for Roku, and Amie Owen, US Head of Commerce for Universal McCann Worldwide, Inc. gave attendees a glimpse into the future of ecommerce. 

How Users Interact with Shoppable TV

COVID significantly changed the retail and ecommerce spaces, says Owen, “I am super excited to be in the space because the convergence of retail and data allows us to really have that shoppable moment for everybody no matter where they are in their journey.”  

Focusing on the holistic TV experience, Roku is extending that to what it means to shop via TV, notes Fisher. For example on TV, a call to action used to feature a flashing phone number on a television screen during an ad, but now a call to action might direct the consumer to visit a website or complete an action using their mobile device. 

Since Roku is a subscription service, the streamer has built a direct relationship with 70 million consumers. This gives them access to email addresses, phone numbers, and credit card info, which provides more insight into who is watching when.

Ensuring positive user experiences with shoppable TV isn’t all that different from creating great experiences online. To achieve that, data plays a huge part in keeping users engaged, says Owen. Post-COVID shopping happens in more ways than before the pandemic, so understanding shopping behaviors can inform which ads to show consumers on their journey.

Best Practices and Strategies to Succeed With Shoppable

As more streaming services buy into the value of Shoppable TV, there will likely be hiccups along the way. Owen suggests three strategies to help make sure everything runs smoothly:

1. Figure out your overall objectives, KPIs, and who you are trying to reach. 
2. Make sure your messaging is tailored to who you are reaching out to and what you are trying to accomplish. 
3. Continue to evolve and keep your pulse on the way the landscape is changing, because everything could be different as early as tomorrow. 

And what works on mobile or desktop, doesn’t necessarily work for TV. “The production quality that people are used to on television is very different. And one of the things that we’re really focused on is making TV more accessible for other people to advertise,” notes Fisher. The cost per impression for TV is lower, but it’s worth taking some of that budget and putting it into production, he adds. 

Roku is also working on making TV as shoppable as social. Consumers are already accustomed to picking up a remote while watching TV, and Fisher believes the remote will be a powerful tool going forward. Roku is also looking into ways to create interactive overlays that will encourage people to use their mobile devices to complete a purchase, with QR codes continuing to be a piece of the puzzle. 

Approaching the Consumer at the Right Time and in the Right Way

Regardless of the way it happens, converting sales comes down to creating a call to action and offering the consumer something valuable in exchange for their information. All of this circles back to understanding audiences through the data they share. 

When Roku partnered with DoorDash to offer customers a $5 off coupon if they ordered in real-time, it was a way to surprise and delight them, Fisher says. That’s just one way to deliver value. 

Then there’s how retail data can help brands close the attribution loop. UM Worldwide partnered directly with Kroger to leverage their first-party data to reach users who purchase beauty products, which led to a threefold increase in return over the previous results, shares Owen.

Partnering with different companies and sharing data in a way that remains privacy safe – which is crucial – can help increase leads, Fisher agrees. The ROI results from these partnerships can sometimes even be seen in real-time. Other times, it may take six to eight weeks for data to be available. 

The Future of Shoppable TV

In the next year, the shoppable TV sector could look completely different. So what about in five to 10 years?

In the next year to three years, Fisher predicts there will be an increase in the video quality of TV ads, possibly aided by AI technology. TV is built for mass marketers to succeed and they will likely continue to do so, he adds. 

In the next five to 10 years, Owen predicts that consumers won’t only be shopping through TV, but through a variety of smart appliances. From the refrigerator that keeps an inventory of what you have stocked to the laundry machine that calculates how many loads of laundry you do in a typical month and prompts you to reorder detergent through Amazon, there will be a whole home ecosystem of places to shop. 

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In this market, independent publishers should consider their own commerce offerings and embrace their ability to take full advantage of these new capabilities.  Publishers can reap the benefits through product sales, reviews, and comparisons. 

Shoppable online advertising is evolving beyond static banners and pop-ups. Today’s innovations are far more actionable than your standard, static units. And, at the same time, conversions are easily measured. Further, some offer sophisticated targeting abilities, allowing publishers to seek out consumers actively in a buying mindset. Collectively, these innovations are known as commerce media. 

To reflect this, new deal-focused media companies have risen along with deal-focused coverage and commentary on traditional publishers for this increasingly savings-focused audience. Many have seen a parallel growth in traffic over the past few years as e-commerce has risen in prominence.

 For example, CNN Coupons presents itself as a one-stop guide to the hottest savings and even offers exclusive rewards from major retailers. Independent publishers should also seek to expand their commerce capabilities as the e-commerce industry expands.

Commerce Media: Linking Impressions with Conversions

Commerce media is a powerful way for advertisers to drive conversions and sales by closing the loop between advertising impressions and commerce transactions. Previously, publishers and advertisers had to play a guessing game when it came to measurable sales driven by an advertisement’s impression. But these innovative technologies allow  publishers to offer more relevant advertising for their audiences 

 Comparative, deal-focused shopping is on the rise, and publishers can capitalize on their specialized audiences by expanding their consumer focus with this technology. As e-commerce continues to skyrocket, many major retailers are sensing the tides and are actively searching for strong partnerships amidst a diversifying marketplace.

New innovations within the commerce media space will give publishers the edge in curating their unique audiences and driving sales in key verticals that align with their coverage. 

 Driving Commerce & Competition 

Sure, you could get by the old way of setting your traffic through an SSP and receiving CPM bids. But those not taking advantage of these technological developments sell themselves at a steep discount. With these capabilities at their disposal, publishers can now aim to deliver meaningful advertising — rather than annoying your consumers, you can endeavor to provide value to the content on your site with information, comparative shopping options, and the ability to quickly and easily complete a purchase. 

How you build out your commerce capabilities has become even more interactive. Many solutions allow you to easily highlight a retailer’s catalog of products with dynamic pricing information. This level of customization enables you to easily integrate shoppable advertising into your site’s identity. 

What Are Shopping Ads? 

In order to craft the best possible strategy, it’s important to take a look at the number of options available, to select the products that will work best for your brand.

Integrating shoppable ads allows you to properly monetize your site based on your ability to provide advertisers with conversions.

Shopping ads are a popular technology to share important product information with your consumers, including an image, price, brand name, and more. This technology has evolved from simply displaying a single offering. Today’s shopping ads can include: 

•     An internal hyperlink directly to the displayed product. 
•     A rotating display of products within a specialized category or from a particular brand. 
•     The ability to complete a transaction directly within the ad unit from the publisher’s site. 

 For publishers, shoppable ads can directly benefit your site. Integrating shoppable ads allows you to properly monetize your site based on your ability to provide advertisers with conversions. This can earn you a far more competitive cost-per-click (CPC) rate than other major solutions in the marketplace, such as Google AdSense. 

Another popular solution is sponsored listings. These solutions pull directly from organic listings on a website and promote them in highly-visible (often top-of-page) positions. These are commonly found in the major players’ arsenals— such as Amazon or eBay — and independent publishers should also take advantage.

A combination of innovative new technologies will help publishers get ahead in the market, by offering a speedy and simplified shopping experience, driving results for advertisers and consumer loyalty. 

How to Get Started 

Publishers hold more power than they expect in the shifting e-commerce market, and influential retailers are listening. It’s time for publishers to take advantage of their specialized audiences and maximize their commerce capabilities.

 Authenticity is key for those looking to get started or increase their offerings. 

One way to begin is by adding content geared toward shopping and transactions. For example, a publisher with a gardening-focused site may want to share articles about the best types of flowers or vegetables for beginners. When thinking about how to monetize your content properly here are a few tips to consider: 

•     Keep an open mind. 
•     Think beyond the walled gardens to extend your advertising reach. 
•     Shoppable advertisements can prove you drive sales and often offer a more competitive CPC rate. 

With the powerful combination of authenticity, new technological solutions, and the advantage of an open mind, independent publishers can curate a competitive suite of commerce capabilities, bringing increased value to their audiences and advertising partners.

The post Online Shoppaholics: How Can Publishers Embrace Commerce Media? appeared first on AdMonsters.

What Differentiates Commerce & Retail Media

Commerce media is different from retail media in two major ways, says Brackmann. First, commerce media includes all industries, and not just the retailers themselves, but their websites focusing on separate divisions such as travel, automotive, and financial services. 

“Second, and I think the part that is more germane to this group, is we aren’t talking only about onsite media. Instead, we’re talking about how to broaden that concept to engage audiences on publishers across the open internet,” explained Brackmann. This means retailers are utilizing first-party data across the space of the internet to find a select group of publishers to partner with. 

Exclusive Ad Experiences Drive Value

Commerce media is generally offered by invitation only in private marketplaces rather than in open exchanges, Brackmann noted. “You may have heard of the PMP concept that’s been popular in the industry for the last couple of years. They tend to have exclusive inventory that’s on-site inventory and exclusive audiences,” he said. These companies will use zero and first-party data for targeting users and to offer them unique advertising experiences. 

These exclusive ad experiences bring value to the consumer, the advertiser, and the site that is offering the experience. Increasingly, Brackmann says, commerce media brands are working with specific publishers on exclusive deals, driving curated experiences for specific audiences. 

Even in-store experiences are beginning to be powered and influenced by commerce media. In fact, the landscape of in-store shopping is changing generally, with over 15 percent of commerce now happening online. This shift, notes Brackmann, necessitates a different way of thinking about how we shop and where money is actually being made. 

For example, he shared that Amazon makes about 68% of its revenue from ads. Indeed, if you shop on Amazon’s site for certain products, 80 percent of the page will consist of ads, which Brackmann says the majority of users noted indifference to, and more people felt the ads were helpful than those who thought they were annoying. 

If even a huge retailer like Amazon is making most of its profit from ads, that is a shift in the overall landscape of digital media, and creating a burgeoning new industry that did not exist a few years ago. “The interesting part about this is one in five digital media dollars will be spent within a commerce media network by 2026,” said Brackmann, noting that many of these dollars are coming from other sectors and therefore increasing the overall size of the advertising pie.

Seizing the Opportunity Commerce Media Provides

This is leading to an increase in ownership of experiences. Commerce companies today are building portals and other technological solutions to engage their users in a meaningful way. Brackmann explained that for advertisers, this means custom opportunities and targets that make sense in the context of the commerce site. 

So what can you do today to thrive in the world of commerce media? Brackmann suggests two things. First, invest in your brand; think about what you can do to make your experience better as things rapidly evolve in areas like buying, optimization, and delivery.

Second, address your operating model and how you will support new needs from advertisers. “That’s an area to invest in,” Brackmann advised.

Lastly, Brackmann noted, new partnerships are everywhere. “New channels, CTV, new experiences folks can drive by partnering together in a new and unique way. As publishers, how do you partner with commerce brands to do something special?” He says partnerships can offer the consumer a differentiated and surprising experience that translates directly into value. 

“The three things I want everybody to take away: commerce media is a huge opportunity for everybody here. You need to own the capabilities both from a technology and organizational perspective to be able to maximize your investment. And be open to new partnerships, all sorts of new things are happening in the industry,” Brackmann concluded.

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